Philips Fidelio XI Open-back Headphones

rooftop59

Title says it all. Great headphones, excellent condition, original box and accessories, plus upgraded low impedance cable which makes a BIG difference.

$150 shipped USPS priority large box (the box these come in is pretty big!)
PayPal gift, bank transfer, or check or money order if I knows ya

I agree with much of what @AsSiMiLaTeD says here: http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/158409/philips-fidelio-x1-i-got-another-headphone-for-you-guys-to-hear

These are probably my favorite cans I have owned (I've recently had Grado sr225i, audio technica ath-m50, v-moda crossfade m100, Sennheiser momentums, sony mdr 1a) in 2 out of 3 ways: sound and comfort. Unfortunately, they are NOT portable, which is why I am selling them. They are pretty large, do not fold down, and are open back (so no coffee shop, library, or plane, which are three places I tend to work). That is the ONLY REASON I am selling. If I could justify keeping two pairs around, I would just leave these in my office.

I think I have some pics, I will try to get them up tonight.

newrival

If you like the X1, check out the M1mkII for mobile. They can be had for a good discount and have the same sound signature (with a closed back).

Good luck with the sale. They are nice cans

rooftop59

newrival wrote: »

If you like the X1, check out the M1mkII for mobile. They can be had for a good discount and have the same sound signature (with a closed back).

Good luck with the sale. They are nice cans

Interesting, I hadn't looked into those and they are intriguing. But they are on ear which I personally don't like and won't work as well in public spaces.

If someone happens to be near central TX 76708, local pickup is $130.

rooftop59

MrBuhl

I have these and can highly recommend these cans, I liked them better than Sennheiser 598's! Do not let the Phillips name fool you, these are the real deal. GLWTS!

rooftop59

Yea I'm not kidding when I claim they are my favs for sound and comfort, just not portability or public consumption lol.

dromunds

Yeah, I have a pair and they are the real deal. GLWS

vcwatkins

I'd like to try these if still available.
Craig

rooftop59

They are @vcwatkins. Pm coming.

rooftop59

SOLD!

vcwatkins

Cool, thanks roof. I am guessing these will be too difficult a load for a Bottlehead Crack(?) and wondering if anyone has paired with a Schiit Valhalla?

rooftop59

lets see, I ran it off mainly an HRT micro streamer, sounded really good to my ears. Also ran it temporally off an iFi dac headphone amp that @DSkip generously let me audition. They two sounded VERY similar, and the HRT is much smaller and more portable so I went with it.

I don't think either of these are ballsy headphone amps, but I certainly wouldn't run them out of an iPhone lol...

Nightfall

vcwatkins wrote: »

Cool, thanks roof. I am guessing these will be too difficult a load for a Bottlehead Crack(?) and wondering if anyone has paired with a Schiit Valhalla?

Actually they are relatively easy to drive, 32 ohms or something there-a-bouts compared to some headphones in the hundreds of ohms. I had this pair but I traded it to dromunds for a Denon cartridge because I just didn't use headphones much at all. They have amazing bass for an open backed pair of headphones, not a flat frequency response but not a bass head pair either, somewhere in between.

MrBuhl

vcwatkins wrote: »

Cool, thanks roof. I am guessing these will be too difficult a load for a Bottlehead Crack(?) and wondering if anyone has paired with a Schiit Valhalla?

My exact setup with these - Schiit Valhalla - match made in heaven IMO!

rooftop59

Nightfall wrote: »

vcwatkins wrote: »

Cool, thanks roof. I am guessing these will be too difficult a load for a Bottlehead Crack(?) and wondering if anyone has paired with a Schiit Valhalla?

Actually they are relatively easy to drive, 32 ohms or something there-a-bouts compared to some headphones in the hundreds of ohms. I had this pair but I traded it to dromunds for a Denon cartridge because I just didn't use headphones much at all. They have amazing bass for an open backed pair of headphones, not a flat frequency response but not a bass head pair either, somewhere in between.

No definitely not bass head cans! V-modas, now THOSE are bass head cans. I would say that the bass on the fidelios is slightly fatter than the sennheiser momentums for instance, but not because they are bass heavy, just because the bass is a bit more rounded vs very lean on the momentums. But I am a bass player (well a long time ago anyways) and I really like the bass on the fidelios, but not on canns like v-modas because it just too overemphasized.

vcwatkins

Thanks for the great info guys. Much appreciated. Looking forward to listening with these.

mrbiron

I've paired them with the crack sans speedball.
Unfortunately, i haven't listened to them in over a year so i cannot comment on the outcome. It wasn't bad if that helps...

vcwatkins

30-32ohm is likely going to mean the Crack is out. Matches well with 300ohm Senn HD-600 and 250ohm BD DT990, but hates anything lower than that. Hoping/anticipating that the Valhalla is the right match as @MrBuhl suggests.
Thanks guys!

vcwatkins

Received yesterday in mint condition. Many thanks to @rooftop59 for the super speedy shipping, safe packing, and great deal.

This is a nice headphone! Looks to be built well. Extremely comfy, at least for my short (for now) listening sessions.

I don't have the Schiit Valhalla in town, so I tried it out on the little Dared MP-5 hybrid at my desk that I use for system sound. Sound quality was excellent even though this isn't a remarkable hp amp. Strings on Keb Mo's "France" were richly organic. The bass on Midnite's "Baning in the Pig" from Ras Mak Peace was nicely extended and detailed, and the slightly cup-shaped curve of this headphone is pleasing to my ear. Very realistic vocals. Caught details I've never noticed before.

Next tried on the Bottlehead Crack just to make sure it's not the best match. Quickly confirmed. A little flabby, but TBH better than I expected. Will stick with the Senn HD600 there as expected.

Next tried on the Oppo 105d. Don't think I've used this headphone output more than a couple times and didn't really have high expectations. Played a Telarc SACD of Cincinnati Pops' Nutcracker. Excellent detail and soundstage! Ended up listening WAY longer than I should have, hehe. VERY enjoyable overall.

I'm really pleased with this headphone performance and value and look forward to using with the Valhalla. I expect I will be using for a long time.

Thanks again @rooftop59 ,
Craig

rooftop59

Glad you're enjoying them @vcwatkins! I also found them to be extremely comfortable and really enjoyed the sound!